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Nepal reported 113 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1, 549 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 90 returned positive. Likewise, 1, 175 people underwent antigen tests, of which 23 were tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 20 infected people recovered from the disease

As of today, there are 471 active cases in the country.

The CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Barsha Man Pun claimed that Janardan Sharma would become the finance minister if the parliamentary committee could not prove him guilty.

Saying that Sharma just paved the way for the Investigation, Pun said that he would return to the post of finance minister if the allegations are not proved.

Talking to journalists at the Parliament building, he said that the CPN (Maoist Centre) would not send a new finance minister until the investigation is completed.

Following widespread criticism and public outcry, Finance Minister Janardan Sharma resigned from his post today.

Sharma was embroiled in controversy after he invited two unauthorized persons to tweak taxes a day before he presented the budget in the Parliament on May 29.

Following widespread criticism and public outcry, Finance Minister Janardan Sharma resigned from his post on Wednesday.

He announced his resignation after putting his views in the Parliament meeting this afternoon.

Sharma was embroiled in controversy after he invited two unauthorized persons to tweak taxes a day before he presented the budget in the Parliament on May 29.

Leaders from the ruling and the opposition parties had been demanding resignation of him.

Earlier this afternoon, the House of Representatives formed a parliamentary committee to investigate Finance Minister Janardan Sharma's alleged role in inviting outsiders to change tax rates. 

The House of Representatives formed a parliamentary committee to investigate Finance Minister Janardan Sharma's alleged role in inviting two unauthorized persons to tweak taxes just before he presented the budget.

During the Parliament meeting held on Wednesday, Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota formed an 11-member special committee.

The committee will have four members from the CPN-UML, two members each from the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre), and one member each from CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajbadi Party and Democratic Socialist Party.

Khagraj Adhikari, Dev Prasad Gurung, Pushpa Bhusal, Pradeep Gyawali, Bhanubhakta Dhakal, Bimala BK, Laxman Lal Karna, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Sarala Kumari Yadav, Sita Ram Mahato and Surendra Prasad Yadav are the members of the committee.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 13.33 points to close at 2,043.92 points on Wednesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 1.68 points to close at 388. 91 points.

Meanwhile, a total of 6,263,310 unit shares of 228 companies were traded for Rs 2. 17 billion.

In today’s market, all sub-indices saw green except for Banking, Life Insurance and Mutual Fund.

Meanwhile, Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal) Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. NCC Debenture was the top loser as its price fell by 5. 89 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalisation stood at Rs 2. 91 trillion.

The government has announced a public holiday on Sunday on the occasion of Eid-al-Adha (Bakra Eid).

Home Ministry spokesperson Phanindra Mani Pokharel said that the government decided to give public holiday on Bakra Eid at the request of Muslim Commission.

CPN-UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai said that his party’s bottomline is that either Finance Minister Janardan resign himself or Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba remove him from the post.

Talking to journalists at the Parliament building in New Baneshwor on Wednesday, he said that Sharma committed the crime against the country by involving two unauthorised persons to tweak taxes a day before the budget was presented. That is why, Minister Sharma cannot remain in the post, he said.

Bhattarai said that Sharma made the government documents disappear and deleted the CCTV footage with ill intention.

He said that they have demanded a parliamentary committee to probe into the incident.

Leader Bhattarai further said that action should also be taken against other people of the Finance Ministry who deleted the CCTV footage.

The Central Committee meeting of the CPN (Maoist Centre) scheduled for today has been postponed till tomorrow.

According to Ganga Dahal, personal secretary of the party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the meeting has been postponed till 11 am tomorrow.

The meeting became uncertain after the ruling and the opposition parties demanded resignation of Finance Minister Janardan Sharma.

Leaders inside the party have been demanding investigation after the Finance Minister took one after another controversial step.

The Nepali Congress leaders have also been demanding the resignation of Finance Minister Sharma who has been embroiled in a series of controversies.

Party Chairman Dahal presented the agenda and political report in the meeting that started from Sunday.

Sharma is accused of inviting two unauthorized persons to change tax rates on the eve of the budget presentation for the next fiscal year 2022-23.